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7-year-old dies after being shot in the head by brother

Erica Jones is a close family friend who said 7-year-old Jermon Perry was a twin, and he was accidentally shot by his younger brother.

ST. LOUIS – An investigation is underway after a 7-year-old boy was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in south St. Louis.

Officers responded to the 3100 block of California Avenue around 2:20 p.m. where the boy was shot in the head.

Erica Jones is a close family friend who said 7-year-old Jermon Perry was a twin, and says he was accidentally shot by his younger brother.

According to a police report, early investigation revealed three brothers were in the home upstairs while adults, including the parents, were downstairs in the home.

“The youngest one found the firearm in the room and brought it in the room and was playing with it. He thought it was a toy and he shot, and once he shot, it struck Jermon in the side of the head,” Jones said.

Jones said the young boy found his father’s gun in the dresser of his parents' bedroom. After the bullet hit Jermon he was semi-conscious when his mother rushed to his side, but he later died at the hospital. Now his family is left longing for his presence.

“We're not good. I can’t say that this is something that any parent would want to endure. It’s not easy especially when you got to tell a child that, the gun was not a toy,” Jones said.

She said this should be a message for everyone to be vigilant and practice gun safety at all times.

The family plans to hold a candlelight vigil for Jermon in the 3100 block of California Avenue on Wednesday, April 4 at 7 p.m.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for funeral costs.

We checked, and several community groups and local law enforcement agencies offer gun locks for free.

More information is available at www.projectchildsafe.org/safety/safety-kit/Missouri.

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